Years ago I put a Butler Creek fiberglass stock on my 10-22, did not use the barrel band with this stock. Works very well and is an aaccurate rifle with the original barrrel. Only thing done was to hone and polish the trigger parts. This is a very early 10-22 from the late 60s.. Main reason I changed stocks is the original is a walnut one and a little on the short side.

Yes, you can take the band off. In fact, I would think that would be better for accuracy. My entire rifle was taken apart and the only thing I used from it was the receiver and the bolt. Almost everything was replaced.

Yes, a new barrel would be just fine if it is the barrel that is causing the problem. I replaced the stock barrel on mine with a Butler Creek carbon fiber barrel that would not shoot very well period, no matter what ammo I used. Replaced it with a Green Mountain barrel and the gun shoots wonderfully now. I should e-bay that Butler Creek barrel.

__________________
The pond, waterfowl, and yellow labs...it don't get any better.

What I have done with several 10/22's over the years is to free float the barrel channel in the stock. I start about 2" or so in front of the receiver and sand away the barrel channel out to the forend tip so the forend does not touch the barrel. I then take a sanding drum on a dremel tool and open up the top portion of the barrel band so it des not touch the barrel.

This has done wonders on several 10/22's that I have done this to. This together with a trigger job and you'd swear you weren't shooting the same gun.

when I first started looking into modifying my 10-22, I came across a procedure to open the band up so it didn't contact the barrel, only the wood. That would work if you must keep the band. If you free float the barrel and it still isn't accurate, put a thin piece of rubber about 2" in front of the vee block, and apply a little tension with the hold down screw. Actually most that have made very accurate 10-22's, pillar bed the action screw, bed the rear of the action, and use the rubber pad with a torque screwdriver to find the sweet spot. Also there are trigger mods, bolt mods, and barrel mods that can be done. The skys the limit. But a lot of this can be done yourself, if you are a little handy, and pretty cheap.

__________________
Good and bad, I define these terms, quite clear, no doubt, somehow.
Ah, but i was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.

How accurate do you want it? I bought one new and tried about everything, includeing lapping the barrel was was still unhappy with the accuracy. I put on a Buttler Creek match barrel and Fagen wood. It is now passable, but it is still not close to my old 37 Remington in accuracy. It`s a pretty good squirrel gun, but that`s about it.

I've always thought the barrel band on the 10/22 was a bad feature on an otherwise terrific design.
You can relieve them, as described above, so they don't contact the barrel, and that may help.
On my 10/22, I did relieve the barrel band, and glass bed the V block area. Then I got a decent trigger on it, and installed a good scope on good mounts. None of the stamped tip off crap mounts! I discovered with a decent trigger pull and good optics, mine shoots quite well - well enough for any small game I might hunt with it. So, I've never tried after market barrels or stocks.

__________________
“May we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
"If the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter"
George Washington
Jack@huntchat.com